From Staff Reports

Sept. 26, 2008 - Beta Nu, the area chapter of the teacher honor society Alpha Delta Kappa, hosts several service projects and activities throughout the year. For at least the 7th consecutive year, these teachers from Hopkins County and bordering county schools will be hosting a "denim day" to generate awareness for breast cancer research.

Each year, they challenge as many school districts and businesses as possible to participate and help show support for breast cancer patients and research to cure the disease by designating a day in October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month, to wear pink pins and ribbons with their denim.

This year, Pink and Denim Day will be observed Thursday, Oct. 9, at Saltillo Independent School District, and Beta Nu members in Sulphur Springs and Mount Vernon have also indicated they will be holidng a Pink and Denim Day as well. They encourage as many others in the community, especially businesses and schools, to also participate.

"We are just planning that all of the schools or businesses we can reach to participate to wear pink and denim. I know SSISD, MVISD (different day than the Oct. 9) and Saltillo will be participating," said Johnna West, a Beta Nu member.

Don't have a pink shirt or have a work dress code that restricts wearing jeans? No problem. Just don a "breast cancer awareness" pin or a pink ribbon. They don't even have to be "official" ribbons; they can be home-crafted so long as they're pink.

"If anyone wants to participate or needs pink pins I have some. They can also make the pink ribbons," West said.

In the past, some businesses and schools, particularly those with dress codes, have raised funding for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation by allowing them to pay a set fee, usually $1 for school students and $5 for educators and at businesses, to wear denim on a set day other than a "casual Friday" -- usually a Thursday.

In 2006, Saltillo school lead the drive with a total of $170 collected, but were by no means the top donors. Sulphur Springs Independent School District raised a whopping $1,075 from its elementary, intermediate and middle school, and another $226 from high school for a total of $1,301. Mount Vernon raised $570, North Hopkins $150, Cumby $120 and Miller Grove $90. City National Bank raised $125, Alliance Bank contributed another $240 and Galyean Insurance $150, bringing the overall total collected for the Komen Foundation to more than $3,250 in 2006.

For ribbons or more information about Denim Day or Beta Nu, contact Johnna West at 903-537-2386, or send an e-mail to her at jwest@saltilloisd.net.

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